Universal safety I/O module

• US 20060224811A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vazach, Joseph G., Sichner, Gregg M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21163 Test I-O if functional or safe value
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24008 Safety integrity level, safety integrated systems SIL SIS

Abstract

A safety control block interfaces to one or more devices utilizing one or more communication protocols wherein a network interface receives and/or transmits data directly from a network. A backplane interface receives and/or transmits data from a backplane. A backplane extension receives and/or transmits data from a backplane. A processing component receives data from at least one of the network interface, backplane interface and backplane extension and determines if the received data is related to safety or non-safety. A safety I/O circuitry receives safety data from the processing component; wherein the safety data is utilized to communicate to at least one control device.

Claims

1. A safety control block that interfaces to one or more devices utilizing one or more communication protocols, comprising:

a network interface that receives and/or transmits data directly from a network;

a backplane interface that receives and/or transmits data from a backplane;

a backplane extension that receives and/or transmits data from a backplane;

a processing component that receives data from at least one of the network interface, backplane interface and backplane extension and determines if the received data is related to safety or non-safety;

a safety I/O circuitry that receives safety data from the processing component;

wherein the safety data is utilized to communicate to at least one control device.

2. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the processing component further includes:

a logic control circuit that analyzes the received data and determines if the data is related to safety or non-safety.

3. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the processing component further includes:

a safety data table that receives safety data from the logic control circuit, processes the received data and communicates the safety data to the safety I/O circuitry.

4. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the data table contains a list of safety data that is compared to the received data to determine if the received data is safety or non-safety data.

5. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein data is transmitted redundantly via two channels throughout the network such that a first channel transmits normal data and a second channel transmits inverted data.

6. The safety control block according to claim 4, wherein data from the first channel is crosschecked against data from the second channel to verify data integrity.

7. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the processing component further includes:

a bridging element that receives non-safety data from the logic control circuit and transmits this data to one or more control elements.

8. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the safety control module is housed in a form factor that substantially protects against dust and the effect of immersion between 15 cm and 1 m of liquid.

9. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the safety control module executes firmware to determine if safety data is defective.

10. The safety control block according to claim 9, wherein one or more data values are set to a pre-determined safe state if the data is determined to be defective.

11. The safety control block according to claim 1, wherein the network communicates utilizing at least one of a DeviceNet, a ControlNet, a CAN and a EtherNet/IP protocol.

12. A field I/O component that processes safety and non-safety data within an industrial control architecture, comprising:

a non-safety I/O component that receives, processes and outputs data unrelated to safety, wherein the non-safety I/O component is coupled to the expansion port;

a bridging element that facilitates the communication of safety data to a backplane;

an expansion port that is coupled to the non-safety I/O component; and

a universal safety block coupled to the expansion port that receives, processes and outputs data related to safety.

13. The field I/O component according to claim 12, wherein the non-safety I/O component is a modular component.

14. The field I/O component according to claim 12, wherein the non-safety I/O component is a block component.

15. The field I/O component according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the non-safety I/O component and the universal safety block employ updatable firmware to process received data.

16. The field I/O component according to claim 12, wherein communication to one or more external devices is accomplished utilizing at least one of a DeviceNet, a ControlNet, a CAN and a EtherNet/IP protocol.

17. The field I/O component according to claim 12, further including:

a monitoring component that analyzes received data and sets one or more outputs of the safety I/O component to a pre-determined safe state if the received safety data is defective.

18. The field I/O component according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the non-safety I/O component and the universal safety block communicate directly to an industrial automation fieldbus.

19. A method for processing data within a control architecture, comprising:

receiving data from a control network;

determining if the data is related to safety based at least in part upon interfacing with a safety table;

transmitting data related to safety to a safety I/O component; and

processing the safety data via the safety I/O component.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting the non-safety data at least one of to and from a non-safety I/O component; and

processing the non-safety data via the non-safety I/O component.